No Longer an Outcast
by FreyaHawthorne
Summary: The cat had nobody, except for one caretaker. The person possessed by Hestia was doomed to live life alone. Their heads of families decided to get rid of two outcasts with one move, and shipped Kenna off to Japan to marry someone she didn't know. Kyo/OC


**Hey guys, first ever fanfic that I've posted. I'm not great at always finishing stories, so feel free to yell at me if it's been more than a week or two!**

Ultimately, it was Akito's decision. Our family heads had a hand in it, yes, but, in the end, it was Akito.

We were a cursed family, like the Sohmas, we had been told. Only instead of turning into a Chinese zodiac animal, we all manifested qualities of a certain god or goddess from Ancient Greece. There was always one of us for each Olympian, twelve in all, plus me. Hestia. The forgotten goddess who gave up her seat on Olympus for Dionysus, or, most recently, my obnoxious drunk of a cousin, Bob. That was not the real curse though. Not by a long shot. Sure, acting like an annoying, big-headed immortal could get bad sometimes, and we were all doomed to repeat the same mistakes that they did, and have the same weaknesses and triggers, which, when agitated, usually ended in us erasing the mortals' memories of our secondary personalities, but it got even worse. Every one of the 13 of us had a sort of defense mechanism, like another person living in your head. That was the real curse, listening to them blabber away, all day, and maintaining a steady emotional climate and good physical health because if you lost control, they gained it.

That was the heart of the curse, as well as what made us such perfect candidates.

See, we had been told that there was another cursed family in Japan, and that was all. We didn't know that our family heads, representing Zeus and Hera, were in contact with them, and we most certainly were not made aware that a deal was being struck.

A deal for me, in specific.

-Flashback—

"Kenna, you're wanted at the Head House when you're done with breakfast," my mom informed me one morning. She looked nervous, which meant that I really wouldn't like whatever it was that I was being told. "You had better hurry up so you're not late. They would be unhappy."

"Ok, mom." I replied, trying to convey gentility so as to put her fears to rest. She just scuttled out of the room, and I sighed. She never seemed to understand that, out of the twelve Olympians plus me, I had, literally, the best control over my emotions, and I hadn't released Hestia in the presence of others since I was old enough to control it. My mom was always on her guard around my siblings, Sophia (Athena), Alexandra (Artemis), Will (Apollo), and I, ever since Artemis-controlling-Alex nearly stabbed our poor mother in the hand. Her nerves would never be the same.

I got up, put my bowl and spoon in the dishwasher, and walked out the back door, leaving it unlocked behind me. The "Head House," the living space of our family heads, was at the top of the street we bought for the Olympians to live on. I just stepped in and headed upstairs to the office, where private meetings were held. As I had guessed, Zeus and Hera, who had chosen to take their gods' names, were waiting for me.

"Kenna, why don't you take a seat?" Hera asked, waving a hand towards an armchair gracefully, an almost predatory smile on her face. "I assume you don't know why we called you here?" I had figured it was better not to guess, because I would just scare myself.

"No ma'am, I don't." I replied respectfully, settling into the chair.

"Well, good then. That means gossips still not onto this one yet," said Zeus gruffly.

"But you have heard of our fellow cursed family in Japan, correct?" Hera cast him one of her infamous "shut up you're not helping" looks as she said this.

"The Sohmas, right?" I hesitantly answered, allowing my volume and head to drop a little. Showing subservience was never a bad idea.

"Yes, them. Well, they have an 'extra' member too, and he's right around your age, so their head suggested that we kill two birds with one stone and marry you two. We agreed." finished Zeus bluntly, and I nearly gasped. Was this even legal in America? "So you had better pack. Your flight leaves tomorrow morning." I felt like crying, but I just nodded, pushing back tears, and left at the dismissal.

I walked home in a daze, barely comprehending where I was going. I was much too shocked for something little like looking at my feet. But seriously, they were taking away my future! I was being married off to a guy that I didn't even know, in a new country, with a language I barely knew. Thank god for Japanese lessons inspired by anime, or I mightn't have known any at all. But what if no one there knew English?

My mom's face as I walked inside would have been at other times priceless, but was now aggravating.

"Is there something wrong, sweetheart?" she called anxiously as I stumbled in.

"No, mom. I'm fine. I just... I'm going to Japan tomorrow." I managed to get out. She was flabbergasted.

"What?" She was not expecting that.

"I'm getting married to someone I don't know in Japan. I gotta go pack." With that, I trudged upstairs, ignoring her confused look.

Packing wasn't difficult. I didn't have very many things, just my clothes, toiletries, and my favorite books, plus a stuffed animal. I hoped that would be enough; if it wasn't, I would have to just get more when I got there.

I didn't allow myself to think about anything more than just getting there. I mean, I was sixteen, and still a minor! I didn't even want to ponder what life would be like after I got there. I just got ready for bed, and lay down, with the express intention of not thinking at all.

-Flashback over-

That was how I found myself on a plane to Japan at four in the morning, trying to sleep. I had been told that there would be a person waiting for me when I got off, but I still couldn't help but worry about it. What would this "extra member" be like? Would I be expected to stay here my whole life? How would I survive? With thoughts like these, it was a wonder I slept at all.

When the plane landed, I thought I was going to be sick. Sure, I had known this was coming, but now it was real. I got off, ignoring the sick feeling in my stomach, and collecting my bags. I then started looking around, Ian search of a sign with my name on it. That was how these things worked, right? Just then, a person touched my elbow. I skittered back and whirled around, eyes probably wide as dinner plates. The man who touched me was pretty tall, and wearing a casual kimono, his dark hair hanging in his face.

"Kenna Atreus?" he asked, in broken English. Ah, so he was picking me up.

"Yes sir," I replied in Japanese, inclining my head in respect.

"Yes, my name's Shigure Sohma, and you'll be staying with me and some other kids your age who live in my house. Is that ok?" It would have to be; I didn't have much of a choice.

"Thank you for inviting me into your home Mr. Sohma," I said. "I appreciate you housing me."

"It's no problem at all my darling flower!" he was suddenly very excited. "You and my dear sweet Tohru can cook and clean together and share a room and become the best of friends!" why was he so happy all of a sudden?

"Umm... Who is Tohru, if you don't mind me asking?" I was really confused.

"Tohru is a wonderful girl who lives with us in exchange for doing household chores, but she's become part of our little family." he sighed here.

"How many people are there exactly in this house, Mr. Sohma?"

"Just me, Yuki, Tohru, and, ah... Kyo." he said this last name with such reluctance that I had a suspicion as to who it was, but I still had to ask.

"Who's Kyo?" I dreaded the answer.

"Kyo is the cat in our family. He is your..." there he trailed off, but I didn't need him to finish. I knew what he was going to say.

"Ah, him." the dread must have been evident in my voice.

"Well... Let's get going! You can meet Ha'ri and Momiji and Haru and Aya tonight!" he was once again excited. What was wrong with this man?

The car ride was not nearly as awkward as I thought it was going to be. Shigure prattled on and on about who-knows-what, and all I had to do was sit there and pretend to listen. It was easy.

We pulled up in front of a pretty, traditional looking house. I got out, grabbing my bags, and took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself. What I didn't realize was that there would be no preparing for what came next.

-Kyo PoV-

I wouldn't admit it, but I was nervous. Hell, who wouldn't be? That idiot dog was bringing home the girl I was supposed to marry! The damned rat didn't even make a comment about my pacing, I was so bad. I had been forbidden from hiding on the roof because apparently it was "my duty as her intended" to greet her. Bleh. I expected some sort of an American drama queen, someone so intolerable no one else would take her, so I was astonished when she walked in.

She was probably only about 5' tall, and wearing a modest brown skirt with orange flats and an orange top. Her chest was larger than average and flattered by the cut of her shirt, and she had large hips and a small waist. Her hair was... Extraordinary, kind of like Haru's. It was a light-ish brown, with streaks of various shades of orange, red and yellow interspersed, giving it the strange effect of looking warm. Her eyes only strengthened this impression, being an orange towards the center, then gradually turning yellow around the outside. Her eyes were wide, no doubt taking me in as I was doing to her. Her nose was cute and button-like, over full lips that naturally curved into a half-smile. Overall, she was very pretty.

"Hello, my name is Kenna Atreus. I'm pleased to meet you." she bowed slightly as she introduced herself, her voice soft. Her Japanese was rather good, even through a fairly thick accent.

"I'm Kyo." I said, looking anywhere but at her. This was so awkward! Thankfully, Tohru rescued me.

"Oh, hello, you must be Kenna! It's so nice to meet you! I hope you'll be really happy here! Is there anything I can make you for dinner in particular? I was just about to start, but I take requests! Oh, you probably need to go put your stuff down! I'll show you our room; you don't mind sharing, do you?" the poor girl looked bewildered by this turn of events.

"No, I don't mind sharing at all... Is there anything I can do to help with dinner or chores after I put my stuff away? I don't have any special requests, other than that you teach me how to make Japanese food. Would that be ok with you? I only know how to cook American food." Wow. She actually kept up with that!

"Oh no! I don't mind at all! Come on, the room is this way." the cheerful girl grabbed Kenna's hand and showed her the way to their bedroom, leaving me just standing there like a loser. Yuki looked at me, and just shook his head.

"You're an idiot. You need to talk to her." I knew he was right, but I didn't want to. That was a conversation we didn't need until we knew each other.

"Shut up you damned rat. You don't know anything." With that I took off for the roof. I needed to think.

I was sitting there when she found me.

"Tohru said you'd be up here." she came up and sat next to me. "Do you mind?"

"Nah, sit where you want." she just wrapped her arms around her legs and set her chin on her knees.

"I think we need to talk, Kyo."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

"I'm sorry, about all this. I didn't want this either, but I had to listen to my family." Her head was down, and she wouldn't look at me.

"Me too... I didn't, I mean, nothing personal, but-" she cut me off.

"But you don't even know me, much less love me. I know. But, I have to do this. I was told that if we didn't, you would be locked up, and I would probably be hunted down and killed." I sucked in a sharp breath at this. Who had told her? But she had even more to lose than I did. "So do you think we can start by being friends?"

"Whatever. Are you gonna come to school with us?" she didn't seem to be offended by my rude answers in the slightest.

"I am enrolled, yes. Actually, I was lucky they even accepted me. My grades at my last school weren't always great." That surprised me. Kenna didn't seem at all stupid, or even ditzy or spacey like Tohru. She must have noted my expression, because she added, "I've just never been focused on school. In my family, there are a lot of children, and I was always being called out of class to babysit for some relative or another." Ah, that explained it. She seemed like she would be good with kids, all patient and crap like that.

"What's your curse?" Aw hell. Why did I say that?

"My family is possessed by the 12 Olympian Greek gods and goddesses," she replied, almost absently. "Plus me, inhabited by Hestia, but I'm an outcast because Hestia gave up her throne on Olympus for Dionysus. When we get too emotional, or too sick, they take control of our bodies until we're strong enough to take them back. Otherwise, they just talk in the back of our heads." No wonder she was so calm.

"What's Hestia saying right now?" I would have to brush up on my Greek mythology. I barely remembered who Hestia was.

"She's, ahhh... " a blush overtook Kenna's face. "She's saying that we should... We should..." Poor girl, it must've been really bad. She was stuttering, she was so embarrassed. "That we should just fall in love because it's going to happen anyway." her voice got really quiet towards the end, and she bowed her head as she said this, as if afraid I would be mad.

"It must be really annoying to have someone yammering away in your head all the time." Why would I yell at her for something she didn't say? She practically sighed in relief.

"You get used to it. What's your curse?" Oh, damn. I didn't want to tell her about my other form, but she needed to know.

"We turn into animals from the Chinese zodiac whenever we get sick or we're hugged by someone of the opposite gender." Her eyes widened at this. "Not you. It won't work on you since you have a curse too." She seemed to almost relax when I said this. Was she worried? "And me, I'm the cat. Long story short, God had a big important banquet, and the rat tricked the cat into missing it, so I got an absolutely awful second form, and if I don't wear this bracelet," I showed her my beads," I turn into a monster. Plus, I'll never be accepted by my family." What was that look in her eye? Sympathy?

"Well, at least we can be outcasts together!" I was... Floored. How was it that this little slip of a girl could hear all that, and still not only throw her lot in with mine, but say it so sweetly, not as if she was dreading anything, but like she would stick with me just because she wanted to.

I might actually fall in love with this girl.

-Kenna PoV-

Kyo's reaction to my easy acceptance made my heart clench. He looked shocked, as if no one had really stood by him before. That couldn't be true, could it? Surely SOMEONE had helped him growing up? He seemed to read the look on my face, and changed conversation topics.

"So what's your family like?" he seemed so awkward, it was actually endearing.

"Well, I have two sisters and a brother, and they're all Olympians. My older sister Sophia is possessed by Athena, my younger sister Alexandra is Artemis, and her twin brother Will is Apollo. The girls are both really violent, only Soph is more likely to plan out a big elaborate attack; she's an intellectual, whereas Alex, our tomboy, will just hurt you. Both of them swear never to marry, and neither of them likes almost any of our relatives. Will, though, is a complete womanizer, and is pretty laid back. He and Alex fight like cats and dogs, but they love each other. My cousin Phoebe hosts Aphrodite, and she's the sworn enemy of both of my sisters. She's shallow, vain, and self- absorbed, but beautiful, and she loves matchmaking. Ares is my cousin Hector, and he's a muscle-bound idiot in the army. Hermes is my uncle Andy, and he's cool, but a bit eccentric, and he's a mailman. My aunt Piper is Demeter, and she's nuts for gardening, but is very motherly. My cousin Hugo is Hephaestus. He's a complete hermit. Poseidon is my crazy uncle Charlie, who goes fishing every day. Dionysus is my lazy, fatass, drunk of a cousin Bob." Kyo looked aghast at the venom in this statement. "Hestia gave up her throne for Dionysus, so we're sort of mortal enemies, kind of like you and the rat. Zeus and Hera are my cousins, but we're not allowed to know their real names, because our leaders always take their god's. And that's pretty much all of us. My parents were only really there in name; we were raised by everybody. What's yours like?" I felt like I was monopolizing the conversation.

"My family is led by a crazy guy named Akito. Stay out of his way," he added sternly. "Akito gets sick a lot, and is kind of bipolar and really violent. His doctor is my cousin Hatori, the dragon, who is best friends with Shigure, the dog, and Ayame, the snake. Shigure and Ayame are two of the most annoying people you'll ever meet, but Hatori's really quiet. Ritsu is the monkey, and he's really self-conscious, so he wears girl clothes and apologizes all the time. The rabbit is Momiji, an annoying brat a year younger than us. You'll meet him and Hatsuharu, the cow, in school. Haru is cool when he's calm, kinda quiet, but he has another personality that we call his 'black' side, which is loud, mean, and violent. Kagura, the bipolar boar, is super violent and used to be totally in love with me. Honestly, she scared me. Kisa and Hiro, the tiger and the sheep, are both in middle school, and totally in love. Rin is the horse and used to be with Haru, and Kureno's the rooster. Then, of course, there's Yuki, the rat. I hate that bastard! My goal in life is to beat him in a fight, but he's good at everything. My mom is... Dead, and I was raised by my shishou, who taught me martial arts. He's the greatest master in the world! He could beat that pretty-boy Yuki in a second! Aw, just talking about it gets me fired up!" he was more excited than I'd ever seen him. "I must seem pretty stupid to you, huh?" he asked.

"Not at all! I've never taken it anywhere, but my family made me learn a bunch of pressure points to use in some kind of confrontation." I laughed at his skeptical looks. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"Someone little like you?" In retaliation for this, I grabbed his wrist, dragging my thumb over the tendon. I happened to know that this hurt like a bitch.

"Ow! What the hell?" he growled. "That hurt!"

"That was the point, silly!" I sing-songed. "You didn't think I could defend myself, so I showed you that I could!"

"Yeah, yeah, alright. At least now I don't have to worry about anyone bothering you." we both turned red after he said this.

That was when I knew I would fall in love with him.

"Oh, children! Time to stop your flirting and get down here!" Shigure called up. Kyo started growling and raced into the house, muttering threats under his breath.

"This house won't be boring, at least," I said to myself as I clambered down.


End file.
